Beneath the Old Tree, the Heaven-Piercing Coffin slowly opened. Li Dalong climbed out. The long night in Merit City was over.
Li Dalong hoisted the Heaven-Piercing Coffin onto his back. A slit opened on the trunk of the Old Tree and swallowed Baimei's corpse. A branch from the tree whipped Li Yaotie while a soft red light descended upon Li Yaoqing, waking the brother and sister from their drunken dreams.
He had not taken part in this grand feast.
Li Dalong had been sensing everything that was happening in the clan.
After emerging, he went to see his many old friends from Azure Cloud one by one.
They had taken the rare opportunity to be completely unrestrained; there were people passed out on the roof beams, on the rooftops, under beds, and even outside the latrine.
Even though the family had become cultivators, Li Dalong still woke them up like a mortal would—with a solid kick for each of them.
He watched as his old friends sat up with bleary, sleep-filled eyes and chided them with a laugh, "Get up! It's time to get ready for war!"
The old steward, Mister Huang, was already busy in the early morning.
A Golden Core stage alchemist-chef brought out bowls of Mind-Clearing Soup from a series of pill furnaces, and Li Dalong served them to his old comrades one by one.
From the Spirit Ark in the Inner City, a line of twelve people walked out of the cabin.
These were the cultivators who had come from Duskwild Prefecture.
Prince Yu's foundation was truly deep; even while at war with the Azure Dynasty, he could still dispatch eleven Divinity Transformation experts and one at the Void Refining realm.
The one at the prow of the ark had the appearance of a young man with a rugged face. Though he wore loose black robes, his powerfully built physique was still apparent, and the eyes beneath his short white hair were filled with dark, intricate patterns.
It was likely that few in Duskwild Prefecture even knew that this person was once Prince Yu's mount: a White Qilin.
It was just that his master was an extraordinary figure. The Qilin was still young, and his master would rather ride a bear than ride upon his Qilin body.
The White Qilin looked down into the Li family's residence.
He watched as Li Dalong kicked the drunkards awake one by one. All of them wore embarrassed expressions. They were told to get up and prepare for war, yet they showed not a shred of the tension one would expect before a great battle.
For a moment, the White Qilin found it all rather amusing. He had lived for many long years and had seen countless nobles of the Azure Dynasty, but these people from Azure Cloud were even more worldly than mortals.
"Bai Shen."
The people of Duskwild Prefecture believed in gods.
The White Qilin, no longer a mere mount, had become a revered divine beast there.
These Divinity Transformation experts were all under his protection, and with his contingent alone, he had dared to accept Prince Yu's order to kill Prince Qian.
A white-robed man behind him spoke respectfully, "Those two women from the Li family are still conducting their war simulation. Today is supposed to be the day we set out, but they are being far too leisurely. This subordinate will go and urge them on."
As they spoke, the group from Duskwild Prefecture all frowned, looking down at the scene below.
Even in Duskwild, they had heard of the Li family's reputation.
A family that dared to fight the Wu Clan, dared to oppose the Imperial Dynasty, and had killed Tian Xing to arrive at where they are today ought to be an extraordinary clan.
They had even witnessed the heroic bearing of the Blood-Red Armor War Goddess, Li Tianyue, on the battlefields of their home.
When they were on their way to Eternal Sun Prefecture, they had been filled with anticipation. But now that they had actually arrived at the Li family's home, they finally understood the meaning of the saying, "It is better to hear the name than to see the face."
Merit City was no different from the mortal world. Outside the Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land, Solaria City was just a marketplace for cultivators, and the rest of Eternal Sun Prefecture was embroiled in endless internal strife...
And they were supposed to be going to war with the Duravia Trade Prefecture.
The various powers of Eternal Sun were completely useless.
Even the Li family's legendary 'Hall of Heavenly Principle,' rumored to be a fearsome gathering of geniuses, could barely dispatch a few hands.
And the famed people of Azure Cloud? Here in the Li family residence, they were nothing but a pack of drunkards with mediocre cultivation…
As the man went to urge them on.
Another man spoke to the White Qilin in a solemn voice.
"Bai Shen, this subordinate believes our only priority on this mission is to fulfill His Highness Prince Yu's command. Let the Li family act as a diversion, while we strike silently at Prince Qian's Mansion, take his head, and leave."
The White Qilin remained noncommittal. In the days since he had arrived in Eternal Sun Prefecture, the Li family's performance had indeed left him greatly disappointed.
Before long, the subordinate's message was relayed to Li Dalong within the family residence. But he paid it no mind, continuing to walk through the compound and wake his old comrades.
Afterward, he went to the Ancestral Hall and kowtowed before the Ancestral Spirit Tablet. Only then did he slowly walk to the base of the Old Tree and raise his head to look at the spirit ark above.
With a nod, he floated into the air and landed before the White Qilin.
He cupped his fists and said with a smile, "Friends from Duskwild Prefecture, please follow my Li clan as we journey together to Duravia Trade Prefecture."
"Are you all ready?"
Hearing this, the White Qilin frowned. "We're going… just like this?"
With his spiritual sense, he could tell that no one was coming out of Merit City. Those drunkards, now sober, were still contentedly sipping their Mind-Clearing Soup.
Li Dalong nodded slightly.
He too glanced at his old comrades, who were relaxing in the family residence, and gave a gentle smile.
"Yes, just like this. We've been fighting our whole lives. They all know exactly what needs to be done."
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